Cigar-branding machine.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

P. GEBHARD.

CIGAR BRANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- No. 788,767. PATBNTBD MAY 2, 1905. P. GEBHARD.

CIGAR BRANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.10, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

No. 788,767. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. P. GEBHARD.

CIGAR BRANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 3,

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iTEn STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PAUL GEBHARD, OF NEW? HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

ClGAR-BRANDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,767, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed August 10, 1904. Serial No. 220,187.

To (all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL GEBHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cigar-Branding Machines; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a side view of a cigar-branding machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse sectional view with the resser-bar and branding device in a raised position; Fig. 1, a front view with the chute removed; Fig. 5, an under side view of the branding-block removed; Fig. 6, a broken sectional view of the upper portion of the machine enlarged, showing a cigar as clamped between the resser-bar and the feed-roll and in the position immediately preceding the final depression of the branding device.

This invention relates to an improvement in a cigar-branding machine or machine for stamping upon cigars certain letters, figures, or other mark, the stamping being preferably done while the cigars are green, the object of the invention being a simple arrangement of parts whereby the cigars may be automatically fed and presented one by one beneath the stamping or branding mechanism, which first slightly compresses the cigar, so as to not only hold it in its proper shape, but form it and then brand or stamp it; and the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

Upon an axle 2, mounted in uprights 3 1, which form the sides of the frame, is a feedroll 5, having longitudinal corrugations or grooves 6, adapted to receive cigars, as will be hereinafter described. Upon the shaft 2 is a ratchet-wheel 7, and operated by a crank 8 011 the driving-shaft 9 is a long pawl 10, which engages with the teeth of the ratchet 7, so as to revolve the feed-roll, and this pawl is held in engagement with the teeth by a spiral spring 11, and the ratchet is held against reverse movement by a flat springfinger l2, engagin with the teeth. Arranged above the feed-r0 l and vertically guided by the frame is a presser-bar 13, formed with a longitudinal slot 14.- and provided in its under face with a former 1 5, which, with the grooved feed-roll, is adapted to clamp a cigar. Near each end of the presser-bar is an upwardly and rearwardly extending arm 16, which proj ects over the forward ends of levers 17, which are hung upon a shaft 18 at the rear of the frame. These levers 17 have inwardlyprojecting lugs 19 in the path of eccentric cams 20 on the driving-shaft 9, the cams being so arranged that at the proper time they will lift the lugs 19 and raise the arms 16 and through them the presser-bar 13. Mounted upon the resser-bar and movable vertically with relation thereto is a type or die holder consisting of a block 21, having a longitudinal chamber 22, in which type 23 or other marking devices may be held by a clamping plate 24. In this chamber is a longitudinally movable rod 25, having a finger 26, between which and one end of the block the type may be clamped by the turning of the thumbscrew 27 upon the rod 25.

Connected with the block is a long heavy flat spring 28, longitudinally bowed upward and bearing at its ends upon the top of the upwardly-extended sides of the presser-bar, and the presser-bar and block are moved downward through a lever 29, mounted on the shaft 18 and projecting forward over the spring 28 and carrying at its forward end an adjusting-screw 30, which bears upon the said spring 28, and the forward end of this lever is depressed by providing it with an arm 31, carrying a lug 32 in the path of the cam 33 on the driving shaft 9, and as this lever is depressed it forces the presser-bar downward and clamps a cigar in one of the grooves of the feed-roller. After the cigar has been compressed to the proper extent the type will be brought to bear upon it by the yielding of the spring 28, which permits of the downward movement of the block beyond the presser-bar, which is prevented from moving downward by the engagement of the former 15 with the sides of the grooves in the feed-roll. The cigars may be fed to the feed-roll by hand, or, if desired, an inclined chute 34 may be arranged in front of the roll, down which cigars will pass by gravit and be picked up one by one by the feed-rol In rear of the roll is a guide-plate 35, extending forward beneath the roll and by which cigars after being branded will be delivered to the front of the machine.

In stamping cigars it is necessary that the type or marking devices shall be heated, and to that end I provide what might be called a "chimney 36, formed in part by the guide 35 and in part by a plate 37, arranged above and in rear of the guide 35, the chimney being wide and directing the heat against the block 22 and the type carried by it, the block being made comparatively heavy in order to retain heat. The drivingshaft 9 may be driven in any desired manner. As herein shown, it is provided with an operating-handle 38. The chute being filled with cigars and the operating-handle 38 turned, the feedroll 5, through the pawl 10, will be turned to carry a cigar beneath the presser-bar 13. WVhjle the feedroll is at rest, the presser-bar descends by the downward pressure of the lever 29 and clamps a cigar upon the roller. The continued downward movement of the lever 29 then forces the block 21, which car ries the marking or branding device, downward, forcing the 'marking device through the presser-bar onto the surface of the cigar, which is thereby properly marked. The presser bar then rises and the feed roll moved one step forward, presenting another cigar beneath the presser-bar, and the operation is repeated. As the feed-roll revolves, the branded cigars are released by gravity and by the guide 35 delivered to the front of the machine.

This machine is very simple in construotion and operation and holds the cigars in position for being marked or branded and with sufiicient pressure so that as the mark or brand descends it will find a comparatively smooth surface, so that a perfect mark or brand is secured.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Y 1. A cigar-branding machine comprising a longitudinally-grooved feed-roll, a vertically movable presser-bar arranged above the same and having a longitudinal slot, a brand carrying block above said bar, and means for depressing said bar and block and forcing the brand through the slot in the bar, substantially as described.

2. A cigar-brandin machine comprising a rotatable longitudina y grooved feed roll, means for intermittently rotating the same, a presser-bar over said roll and having a longitudinal slot, a branding-block above said presser-bar and yieldingly supported thereon, and means for depressing said bar and block, substantially as described.

3. A cigar-branding machine comprising a feed-roll, means for intermittently rotating the same, a presser-bar arranged above the same and provided on its under face with a former, and with a longitudinal slot, a branding-block above said presser-bar and yieldingly supported thereon, and means for raising and lowering said presser-bar and block, substantially as described.

4. A cigar-branding machine comprising a frame, a longitudinally-grooved feed-roll on a shaft mounted in said frame, a ratchetwheel on said shaft, a driving-shaft crank thereon, a pawl connected with said crank and engaging with said ratchet whereby the roll is intermittently rotated, a presser-bar vertically movable over said roll, means on said driving-shaft for raising said presser-bar, a branding-mark yieldingly mounted above said presser-bar, and means operated by said driving-shaft for depressing said block and presserbar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL GEBHARD. Witnesses:

FREDERIO C. EARLE, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

